Gregory Anton, CPA, CGMA, immediate past chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Board of Directors, spent the day in Washington, D.C. on September 18 to remind members of Congress about the importance of reviewing the U.S. government’s financial statements as part of a comprehensive look at federal fiscal matters.

Anton was invited by U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.), a CPA and co-chair of the Congressional United Solutions Caucus, to address the members of the caucus, including fellow CPA Congressman Tom Rice (R-S.C.), and brief them on the AICPA’s What’s at Stake? The CPA Profession on Federal Fiscal Responsibility program.

“As one of only a dozen CPAs in Congress,” Murphy said, “I have an appreciation for the insight financial statements play in assessing fiscal well-being. I thank Greg and the AICPA for bringing much-needed attention to the role the government’s financial statements should play in the federal budget process to help us find common sense solutions to our fiscal challenges. This is important given that so many of the challenges we are dealing with are math problems. The What’s at Stake? initiative provides valuable insight into how we can better ascertain the situation to make the best decisions for our nation’s future.”

The United Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan organization consisting of 30 members of Congress, focuses on finding long-term, bipartisan solutions to problems and helping build relationships across party lines.

Anton explained to caucus members how the U.S. government’s financial statements provide a deeper perspective than simply focusing on the government’s annual budget. Anton, founding partner and chairman/CEO, Anton, Collins, Mitchell, CPA firm in Denver, also met with U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and the chief of staff to U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) to brief them about the What’s at Stake? initiative.

"I am honored to have been invited by Congressman Murphy to meet with and brief the Congressional United Solutions Caucus," Anton said. "Given the financial issues currently facing Congress, this meeting was timely. The members of Congress with whom I met expressed appreciation that the accounting profession is taking the lead on important projects such as What’s at Stake. I believe the profession can continue to serve as an important resource for policymakers in this regard."

Information about the What’s at Stake? initiative and related resources are available on the AICPA website.